Posted on: Friday, November 15, 2002

Regents get UH world-class costs

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

The price-tag for launching the University of Hawai'i as a world-class institution with well-paid faculty, an international reputation and global reach in intercultural education will be an additional $99 million next year — about an 18 percent increase in the current budget.

But university officials don't expect taxpayers to foot that whole bill.

In a presentation yesterday to the Board of Regents, UH Chief Financial Officer J.R.W. "Wick" Sloane said there are at least four sources to pay for that expansion, and the state share may be as little as one-quarter.

Sloane's presentation was strictly informational; UH planners are in the process of making final budget calculations for the next biennium to take to the governor and Legislature.

Sloane said $99 million was what the university needs to perform according to guidelines set by the new strategic plan developed in a community-wide process in the past year.

"This is the need, not what we're asking from the Legislature," Sloane said. "The general fund is only one source."

Other sources include internal reallocations, fund-raising and managing enrollment, which includes better recruiting of new students, increasing retention and raising tuition.

The $99 million projections include about $9 million for increases in faculty salaries to bring them up to 80 percent of the national standard; and about $22 million to improve information technology throughout the system.

Projections of UH operating expenses needed for the second year of the biennium amount to $116 million.

At the same time the university is looking at $659 million in capital improvements money for the next two years to handle 26 projects, 23 of which have been on the books in the past but haven't been funded.

This includes $171 million to build West O'ahu campus in Kapolei and $1.4 million for turning the Cannon Club into a center for culinary arts at Kapi'olani Community College that would expand the program to the graduate level.

In related university news, President Evan Dobelle sent letters yesterday to 163 people in the university's executive and management team, reinstating their appointments.

A year ago Dobelle put the systems' 205 managers on notice that their jobs could be changed or terminated within a year. He and other top executives have spent this past year looking at a system reorganization that would redeploy top managers. These letters are a result of that scrutiny.

Forty-three people did not receive letters of reinstatement because their status has changed: 20 people have converted to faculty or union positions, 21 individuals left the university and two people retired or were terminated for other reasons.

"These were never meant to be pink slips," said Paul Costello, vice president for external affairs. "This was not performance-related. It was a system-wide reorganization."

Overall it has meant a reduction of 24 executive/managerial positions with 25 more slated for review.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.